1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the various functions of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, random accessible reproducing apparatuses of varied kinds using a record bearing medium such as a magnetic disc have been developed. In most cases, these apparatuses are arranged to handle different records of information recorded in recording tracks, each independently of another. Hence, the information recorded in some of these tracks is often discretely erased as desired.
Practice has been to detect the presence or absence of a previous record in a next track every time a recording operation or a reproducing operation is completed in or from one track; and then to allow the operation to jump to a next unrecorded or vacant track in the case of recording or to a next recorded track in the case of reproduction. Therefore, in the event that a large number of tracks are to be skipped over, an excessively long access time becomes necessary. If the next usable track happens to be the last of all the tracks or in the event of no usable track, a long period of time is wasted by meaningless detecting and shifting actions.
To solve this problem, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 541,671, filed on Oct. 13, 1983, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. SHO 59-71102 have disclosed a recording and/or reproducing apparatus which is arranged as follows: With a recording medium such as a magnetic disc loaded on the apparatus, all the recording tracks on the medium are scanned by a head one after another. The scanning output of the head is detected and discriminating information thus obtained about recorded tracks and unrecorded or vacant tracks is stored in memory. Then, the head is shifted according to the stored information to a vacant track in recording and to a recorded track in the case of reproduction. The above-stated apparatus of the prior art is arranged, when a magnetic disc is loaded, to have all the tracks on the medium to be scanned from the first to the last of tracks one by one for the purpose of adequately controlling the head position for recording, and, upon completion of the scanning action on the last track, to bring the head to a vacant track. Therefore, in reproducing the records in the tracks of the recording medium, the head must be brought back to the initial reproducing position after completion of scanning all the tracks. Therefore, a great time lag takes place after loading the medium and before the commencement of reproduction. This has been a disadvantage in terms of operability of the apparatus.